Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-14

Of the realestate market, although unimproved
! land within the city Is in good demand and the
| prices realized show no depreciation. There have
| been, however. no large transactions in suburban
| property during the week. The only block OF land
| sold was a tract OF 81 acres lying off the Teney.
town Road, in the vicinity OF Secretary Whirney's
| country residence. Mr.. A. T. Goldsboro,,gh. who
| has represented syndicate OF Richmond gentle
| men in several large land Investments recently
| made in this locality, was the purchaser He paid
SIS, 43O to Mr. Chas. Counselman for this property
| The land around the new hotel and the Country
Club House mas been subdivided and laid OF into
| lots, as stated recently in TIE STAR. Woodley
Lane is to be extended through this property, and
where the latter joins the Tenleytown Road oppo-
| site the Presidents house, Mr.. A. G. Heaton has
| purchased two lots each 5Ox2OO feet. The price
paid was q, $780, or 22 cents per square foot This
Is the first transfer that has been noticed OF lots
in this subdivision, and 1t is stated that most
OF this land which has been subdivided will be
placed on the market 1t is to be known as s.Fair-
The present subdivision OF Kalorarna and Be-
lair Heights is to be extended II the owners Of
the ground consent so as to join the subdivision OF
Washington Heights. The streets as at present
laid out will have to be curved somewhat, so as
to join the streets to be laid the subdivisions
named; II the necessary consent is obtained the
subdivision Of land Will then be continuous from
Columbia Road and WOOdey Lane to Rock Creek
as 1t gradually winds toward the city. This
property, like all the other suburban subdivisions
placed on the market recently, has been quickly
bought UP at good prices and the real-estate men
say tnaC tnere Is o demand tor more,
SKETCH PLANS, But NO HOUSES
Some OF the architects are Of the opinion that
the season is going to prove to be rather dull one
in the building line They say that they have
been busy all the spring In making sketch plans
for houses, which have not yet emerged into the
| more tangible form OF brick and stone There IS
no commission in making sketch plans and this
accounts in fact for the dissatisfaction which the
uncertainty in the intentions OF those who are
thinking about building causes In the
I 81
is said, who are thinking about building,
and in the meantime are looking over
architects think that there are more OF this
class than ever before, and some OF item are in
clined to blame the activity In real estate for this
state OF things. They maintain that people invest
all their money in land and in consequence have
none for building. There is, however, good deal
OF building in progress throughout the city, and
the builders as rule, have ali that they can at
tend to. A great deal OF the work In progress
was left over from last year. While there are a
large number Of new buildings going up yet the
opinion seems to be general that the is not
going to be quite what was expected.
BUILDERS AND CONTRACTS.
Itis found that tie bidding on new buildings
is as a rule this season, very close between the
competing builders. Recently, when the bids
were opened for house which was to cost about
So, coo, there was difference CT only 50 between
the lowest bid and the next highest. The contract
was awarded to the lowest bidder and the 50 was
saved. When bids are invited upon the plans and
specifications for The erection OF house there is
no obligation to accept The lowest bid, or, indeed
any or the bids. Any one OF the bids may be ac-
cepted at the discretion OF the owner It often
happens that when there is difference OF only 50
between two bids that the lowest bid is accepted,
and then again bid two or three hundred dollars
higher than all the others Is accepted in preference
to all the rest. When all the bids are rejected
then new bidders are invited to make estimates,
and sometimes the plans and specifications are
modified SO as TO reduce the cost. 1t is very often
the case that the contract for building is awarded
without competition. The owner asks the builder
to make estimate Of the at he
build the house for, and then he tells him to go On
with me work People who have had experience
IN building say that there are builders anG build
ers, AMI that there Is as much difference in them
as there Is In tailOrS.
SOME NEW RESIDENCES.
Messrs. Poindexter & Co. have prepared plans for
two residences to be erected for Mr.. Bugher One
Is to be located on the north side of street. be-
tween 10Th and 18th streets, and adjoining the
residence OF DR.. w. w. Johnston. 1t will co t
about 900. The other residence will be on the
south side OF street, between 18th and 18th, in
the vicinity OF the handsome new residence Which
Mr.. Calderon Carlisle is building, and which was
described few weeks ago In The STAR.
Mr.. ThOS. NJ. Woodruff is building three houses
at the southwest corner OF 2lst and streets The
corner house Will have a frontage OF 20 feet on
2lst street, and there Will be tow er at the
and Day window on the R-Street side. The two
houses adjoining will have frontage OF % feet on
2lSt street; and the front OF one will be varied by
square bay window, and that OF the other by a
rounded bay window. The houses will be three
stories high, and will have conveniently arranged
interiors. Messrs. Langley & Gettinger are The
builders, and they are using plans furnished by
the brother OF the owner, who is an architect in
New York city.
SALES ON BELAIR HEIGHTS.
Messrs. Fitch, Fox & Brown, the agents for the
Belair Heights property, report that, during the
thirty days it has been on the market, the sales
have aggrega- ed 1856. 900. The grading Of the
and force OF 200 men Is at work.
THE F-sTREET BRANCH PosT-oFF1cE.
Mr.. ThOS A. Brown is erecting, on the vacant
ground next TO the Glover Building on street.
between 18th and 18th streets, a small Office
building, which will probably be used by the
branch post-off1ce. The present quarters Will adj
join the new building. For some tire past more
room has been needed for the work OF the branch
appropriation for the purpose OF securing a more
commodious building. The Department has not
as yet decided how this money will be expended
VERMONT AVENUE HOUSE.
Mr.. Asa Whitehead Will soon begin the erection
OF brown stone front residence on the west side
OF Vermont avenue, near L street, adjoining Mr.
W. w. Burdette's residence which is nearing COM
pietiOn Both OF these houses are designs OF T. =,
Schneider. architect. VINO has, in designing MIR.
or the other front, but the style Is an entirely
different character. The entrance Is very wide
and its heavy arch is supported on thick, short
stone columns, with elaborately carved Capitals
The Keystone Of the arch is handsomely carved in
rolnanesque designs. Above the entrance is a
stone
work on the sides OF the windows and about the
entrance Is dressed, While the rest OF the front l.,
rockIaced. circular tower extends 10 the slate
roof, terminating with cone roof, beneath the
projecting caves OF which is tier or small win.
GoWo, with little stone columns between each At
the second noor carved fr1eze extends around the
tower. The cOrnice is bold and Is supported on
stone dentalS The crossings are Of copper The
broad stone approach leads into an entrance hall
nine feet wide, and in the farther corner there is
handsome mantel and fireplace The staircase is
in large hall back OF, and separated FROM the
entrance hail by an arched Screen and is made OF
oak. The halls have high OAK panneling The in
terror will be finished In oak and cherry A rea-
ture OF the dlning-rOOm is small circular tower
on one corner OF which is q slide to the panlry
Mr.. ". W. BURDErIEs HOUSE,
The interior OF Mr.. Burdettes house is of the
same general plan as the above. The feature of
| the front is its stone portico and entrance A
graceful bay extends to the third floor ending
| with q stone baluStrade. A handsome gable ex.
tends above the red slate root and is guarded on
each side by terra Gotta griffin four feet hiph
over the entrance at the second story there Is a
| pretty basket balcony, and above the bay at the
| third floor Is q large tfiple-arched window The
front is OF rock-faced and dressed brownstone and
pressed brick. William P. Lpscomb is the builder
MRS. CHEATHAM'S DIAMONDS.
Detective Mahon's story OF How the
Loss Was Discovered.
Detective Mahon, from this city, who IS in Chi